Echo back an optional payload. Use to verify the MCP bridge is alive.

Resolve MAME env/config paths and report which required pieces exist.

Run mame -verifyroms <system> and return the audit output tail.

Boot a machine briefly and list MAME Lua IO-port fields for input injection.

Install Lua read/write taps over CPU address ranges and log deduped accesses.

Superman helper: trace $900000-$900FFF C-Chip accesses and report $900803 status verdict.

Run a caller-supplied MAME Lua autoboot script headlessly.

Run caller-supplied MAME Lua source (string, not a path) headlessly; optionally read back an artifact file.

Golden-vector capture for a pure leaf that transforms one memory word/byte in place (RNG/counter/accumulator). Injects inputs via taps, records output + regs + CCR. Independent oracle for the transpiler differential harness.

Launch a PERSISTENT live MAME (headless + bridge) and keep it running across tool calls. Required before any other mame_* live tool.

Terminate the live MAME session.

Live session status (system, frame, paused).

Pause the live machine (state stays readable).

Resume the live machine.

Run N frames then pause; returns the frame number.

Load a MAME save state by name (needs stateDirectory). Apply with a run_frames after.

Save a MAME save state by name.

Read all CPU state registers (D0-D7,A0-A7,PC,SR,USP,...).

Set one CPU register.

Read a memory block (hex) from a device's program space.

Write a hex block to a device's program space.

Set an ioport field value (e.g. 'Coin 1', 'P1 Right').

Run to the Nth GAME_TICK ($3A92) and snapshot regs + a memory region AT the prologue read (lockstep regsA/wramA primitive; entry a7 = SP+60).

BOOT-AWARE drive to a running game: wait for the $0818 idle (boot done), inject clean coin/start EDGES, confirm GAME_TICK. Replay-robust where a fixed-frame .inp desyncs (the C-Chip boot handshake isn't bit-reproducible).

Run Lua on the live machine (vars M/machine = manager.machine); returns its value.